While the last of the summer sun may still be shining, Christmas planning is well underway at IndyBest. In August we snagged an early look at this year's best beauty advent calendars and now, we’ve had a preview of this year’s festive food lineups. Supermarkets are already unveiling their Christmas menus for 2026 and after seeing some of the dishes first hand, I can say there’s lots to be excited about.
So far, I’ve had a sneak peek at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons’s food and drink that you’ll eventually be able to order for the big day – and there are plenty of standout creations. Tesco is playing into our love of pickles with its arancini sticks with chorizo and cornichon, while Morrisons is satisfying our love of pigs in blankets with a giant version for 2026. Over at Sainsbury’s, the supermarket has created a tasty spin on the festive song with its ‘driving home this Christmas’ dessert, featuring chocolate mousse with a hidden brownie salted caramel centre.
Asda shoppers are in for a seafood treat as the supermarket spoils us with lobster tails and black tiger prawns, while Waitrose has 380 new dishes this year spanning party food, main courses and sweets. As ever M&S is injecting some fun and indulgence with starters including lobster, prawn and scallop thermidor en croutes, topped with a mini pastry lobster.
I’ll be updating this page as I get a preview of Aldi and Lidl’s selection over the next few weeks, including all the details on prices and when delivery slots open. See this as your one-stop shop to all things festive food for Christmas 2026.
Read more: M&S’s Christmas food-to-order is here – and it stars a festive Colin
Sainsbury’s Christmas food 2026
- Delivery slots: Available now
Sainsbury’s is injecting some flavour into its sharing and grazing range this year with a brie en croute, lobster thermidor crumpets, and scallop and smoked bacon vol au vents on the menu. For something more refined, you can serve up Devon crab rarebit gratins or decadent lobster tails with garlic butter.
Mains look equally enticing, particularly the turkey crown with a pork, chestnut, mulled cider and apple stuffing. The fish option is a crisp Hebridean salmon Wellington and parsley crusted halibut fillet, while there’s a vegan no turkey crown with bacon lattice. From the sides, the pork & apple bacon wrapped stuffing wreath is sure to be a hit.
I’ve already mentioned my favourite dessert, the driving home this Christmas mousse, but the Black Forest cheesecake and a limoncello tiramisu also deserve a mention.
Read more: What to order from Sainsbury’s Christmas food this year
M&S Christmas food
- Food to order slots: Available now
The lid has been lifted on the highly anticipated M&S food for Christmas. It has teased its 2026 offering with festive sweet treats like cinnamon churros twists, and malt and caramel cookie pies landing in the foodhall. In terms of catering for the big day, M&S has pulled the stops out. Picky bits have had a festive makeover with a build by numbers charcuterie and antipasti grazing platter in the mix, meanwhile for an elegant starter, I love the look of the lobster, king prawn and scallop thermidor en croute.
In terms of mains, there’s an Oakham turkey crown with Italian chestnut, pancetta and Calabrian orange stuffing, while for fish eaters, the Scottish salmon and lobster Wellington looks indulgent as does the nut roast with caramelised nuts and cranberries. Sides sound equally tempting with a Brussel sprout and leek gratin, goose fat roasting potatoes and bubble and squeak stacks.
Desserts look equally moreish with a yule log, a Black Forest gateau, and a ‘snow much fun’ dessert, which features a cute penguin scene.
Read more: What to shop from M&S Christmas food-to-order as it goes live
Waitrose Christmas food
- Delivery slots: Available now
Waitrose has really ramped things up this year with 380 new releases spanning centrepieces, party food, desserts and bakery treats. There’s plenty of unique dishes in the mix to start – think goat's cheese and red onion vol-au-vents, a yule log sausage roll that serves eight, and an arancini selection. For the main event, it has kept things more classic with a double butter basted free range turkey crown stealing the show, while there’s also a slow cooked citrus glazed gammon that is new for this year. If you’re not a turkey fan, there’s a wagyu beef pie too.
The fish options are equally good looking with salmon en papillote with dill and orange butter, and a whole cooked British lobster up for grabs. Vegetarians haven't been forgotten either with a mushroom, malbec and port Wellington to enjoy, which I’ve tried and is up there as the tastiest supermarket veggie main.
Save room for the frosted raspberry snowflake-shaped vanilla mousse, filled with raspberry compôte, or the sticky toffee yule lodge.
Tesco Christmas food 2026
- Delivery slots: 3 November for anytime delivery saver customers, 5 November for all other customers
The starters look great from Tesco this year, from a salmon terrine wreath and giant king prawn cocktail to new seafood gratin and tomato and Kalamata olive tarts. When it comes to mains, the East Anglian gold free range turkey steals the show, while if you’re after something less traditional, there is a salt-aged pork loin joint, Scottish roe venison leg and for vegetarians, a maple roasted winter vegetable wellington.
For dessert, I can attest to the deliciousness of the Belgian chocolate and berry délice and Belgian chocolate and caramel molten pudding, while the gluten-free option, the caramelised white chocolate and speculoos cake, looks equally tempting.
For the first time, shoppers can now get ahead and browse the festive food to order and add items to a shopping list before slots open in November.
Asda Christmas food
- Delivery slots: 13 October for delivery pass customers, 20 October for all other customers
Seafood at Asda takes centre stage this year. I was really wowed when I tasted the fish selection, so there’s really no missing out if you’re pescatarian. For starters, you can choose from seafood canapes, king prawn and scallop seafood shells, and black tiger prawn cocktail – plus more. If you’re not a seafood lover, don’t fret as there are mushroom vol-au-vents and a Mediterranean grazing plater to dig into before the main course.
Speaking of, you can enjoy a Norfolk slate turkey, beef rib, or pork rib rack, while a butternut squash wreath is the veggie option. For dessert, a sherry trifle, star-shaped clementine pannacotta, and the vanilla reindeer cheesecake all look impressive.
Morrisons Christmas food 2026
- Delivery slots: Available now for delivery pass customers
Morrisons has added 290 new dishes into its range this year, with lots to be excited about. To start, serve up the Scottish salmon terrine, prawn cocktails or scallop and prawn thermidor gratin. Then there’s a turkey breast joint stuffed with pork, spiced apples and smoked chestnut stuffing, a two-bone beef rib, a rack of pork and lamb rump. For vegetarians, a seeded nut roast is your main.
Desserts do not disappoint either. Choose from decadent options including a chocolate orange star, sticky toffee pudding trifle and a chocolate and honeycomb pavlova wreath.
Co-op Christmas food 2026
- Delivery slots: Slots open up to six days in advance of the delivery date
Co-op has unveiled its festive range for this year and I’ve got my eye on the party food. A fun take on British classics, serve up mini beef Wellingtons, mini fish finger sandwiches with a mint pea dip, and cheesy pigs in blankets bites. The flavours are more traditional when it comes to mains with a topside beef joint with bone marrow stock and red wine jus, and a cured gammon with a maple and orange glaze for meat eaters. The golden butternut and lentil en croûte is the choice for vegetarians.
Sides sound indulgent with chantenay roasting carrots, loaded West Country cheddar mash, and roast potatoes with wagyu beef dripping on the menu, but save room for salted caramel and chocolate profiteroles or chocolate yule log.
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